The case for moderate respect

It took a little while (maybe a week or so) before the Twins figured out how to quit creating a mini-circus during their seventh-inning Kirby Puckett tribute each game.

You see, the giant bear and his t-shirt cannon come back for round two in the middle of the seventh and after the opening night mess, they have been bringing the bear out an inning earlier since.

Good call.

Now they don't have Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World punctuated by the dull "fwoomp" of the compressed air cannon. Just adds a little class to the whole shooting match.

Other quick thoughts from last night's comeback win against the White Sox:

* I had to call The Tank in the middle of the game when Ozzie Guillen got run for arguing with the umps. I'd said a few innings earlier that I wanted to see Ozzie get the boot, just once.

I got my wish.

I also enjoyed that crappy "Nah-nah, hey-hey goodbye" song being played as he headed to the showers. Almost as good as starter Javier Vazquez getting chased from the game to Had a Bad Day. Way to be, audio guy. Way to be.

* Rondell White had two hits, including a double last night. His cleats are en route to Cooperstown, his urine is being sent to three independent testing labs and we're all being asked by the National Weather Service to watch for pig shit from the flocks of swine that have taken flight in the past 12 hours.

* AJ Pierzinski - Is the only player I've seen out and out booed this year in the Metrodome this season. I have no idea if he was kicking puppies in the dugout throughout the course of the game or what, but the ill will, no chin jokes and booing got worse with every at-bat.

Way to go, Twins fans... you're learning, I guess.

* Francisco Liriano, you're my hero. I'll be checking your contract soon in preparation for a jersey purchase if this keeps up. Just try to keep out of prison in the future, willya?

(Photo from: dr4b.org)